Pandora's Pithos
by miskunn
Summary: Set during Ed's solo attack on Father. Some Hohenheim POV for ya. Some implied Edwin. Warnings: probs bad grammar and punctuation. Slightly messed up process of events. Inaccurate myth description. Disclaimer: I is not a cow with glasses, I is a potato with glasses. I'm no way musical either. Also posted on AO3.


**A gift while you wait for me to update Equivalent Exchange from me to you. Also, happy holidays!**

**Edit: I did upload a document but it went to HTML formatting for whatever reason. Hopefully this second time will work. *cross fingers*  
>Edit 2: fixed up a few gross errors that I just couldn't live with without correcting.<br>**

_"When your dreams all fail_  
><em>And the ones we hail<em>  
><em>Are the worst of all<em>  
><em>And the blood's run stale"<em>

**Pandora's _Pithos_**

There used to be another myth, just as old as the boy whose wax wings melted because he flew too close to the sun. It spoke of a girl who had been given a box (though archaeologists and historians argued that it may have been a sort of jar shaped vessel called a _pithos_) and she had been told to never open this box. But she did. Human curiosity. It was an un-suppressable thing that few were born (or taught) to ignore. The girl in the myth had obviously been the majority.

She had given in to urge. She had opened the box as if it had whispered words into her ear and goaded her into the task despite the warning she had been given by a higher being. The myth went that curiosity over came her and she opened the box, releasing evil spirits into the world to plague and hinder those that resided in it. There was one thing left in this box however and that thing was what is called Hope (_Elpis_).

Izumi stabilised Hohenheim as a knee momentarily collapsed from where they stood, battered and near broken as Ed embraced the rage that so often came when someone (_something_) wronged his family or friends. His son was a blur, attacking the vulnerable homunculus with both his fists and alchemy. Hohenheim had never been much of a fighter, despite growing up in slavery. The man silently thanked Izumi for teaching them how to at least protect themselves when needed.

The dwarf in the flask as Hohenheim had called it was now wheezing and Van had to remind himself that, despite it similarities to Edward it had no relation towards his son other than appearance. Hohenheim suppressed a chuckle at that line of thought. Once Ed finally got the guts to declare his very obvious love to his mechanic and they went ahead with children, Hohenheim wouldn't be surprised if half of them looked more like Ed. It was already clear he was the owner of some very dominant genes, the homunculus being a prime example. Greed had joined the fighting now, exchanging blows with the very thing he had been born from. Something chill settled in Hohenheim's stomach when Father started to absorb the other homunculus. Moments passed without much action and there was clearly a struggle going on in Greed's host body. Finally, something seemed to snap.

The Xingese boy Greed had paired with fell back several steps in shock. The ouroboros tattoo disintegrated off the boy's hand and both the Xingese boy and Edward stared at it with a mix of surprise and horror. Hohenheim recognised the cold feeling that had taken root. Dread. He was dreading what came next. He could picture it clearly in his mind as Father would sweep out a hand that hardened to diamond, probably_slicing through Ed and_- wait. Father's body was starting to turn black. The dread was replaced with realisation and relief. Greed had done something so selfishly greedy that it actually made Van chuckle. Izumi glanced at him shortly before turning back and coming to the same conclusion. Greed had stayed a sentient being though now inside his creator and he had taken over the controls so to speak of his "Ultimate shield". Father's being was most likely the same strength as soft lead, the usual found in art pencils.

It was no match for Ed's fist. Hohenheim winced at the sight of his son's arm going completely through the homunculus's midsection. It was totally unnatural how _easily _it (Ed's fist) made it clean through Father's body. Father looked as if he had stepped on a hoe and had it come up to hit him in the face.

The Truth's physical embodiment reached out of the hole in Father's stomach. The disconcertion was almost tangible as soldiers watched with varying degrees of grim wonder and disgust. After all, it wasn't every day you saw a "mortal-ised" immortal imploding in on itself. People cheered Ed on though it was cut off quickly at the sound of the little Xingese girl's cries. She was yelling Alphonse's name shaking the armour. Ed walked to her, his own face twisted with sadness and tears streaming down his own face. He fell to his knees next to the metal that used to be his brother. The blood seal was already chipping from alchemical energy and something shattered in Hohenheim's chest at the sight and he barely registered the Xingese boy that had hosted Greed squatting next to Ed, offering a small bottle.

"Take this," the boy said. "Use our philosopher's stone to get him back." Ed looked positively affronted. He shook his head violently.

"No. You've worked too hard for that. Take it back to Xing with you."

"Edward," Hohenheim called out. He knew there was three ways this could go and he'd rather only have it go one way. The boy's head snapped over, tears mixing with blood. "I have one life left. You can use it-"

"Shut up! Shut up you rotten, good-for-nothing father!" Ed shouted, glaring through his bangs. Something else broke in Van. "We swore we'd never use another life to restore ourselves!" Hohenheim felt his mouth tip up in a small smile. His boys had definitely learned the value of life. Van glanced at their teacher who was watching the proceedings intently, tears welling in her own eyes. Edward himself turned to the still-crying Xingese girl. Guilt was written on her face and it was obvious why; she _had _been the one to do the transmutation.

"Hey," Ed said to her, his voice unnaturally gentle, "Alphonse made his choice." Ed was silent for a moment longer and Hohenheim saw something steel in his eldest's eyes. "Does he really mean that much to you Mei?" The girl sniffled, giving the tiniest of nods. It was barely an inclination of the head and could be passed off as her moving to sniff. Ed stood and Hohenheim watched carefully, taking note of the determination that had set on his son's face. Edward's back straightened as if someone had taped a rod to it. He looked more confident than Hohenheim had ever seen the boy.

"Mei," Ed said, "step back." The girl obliged, getting out of the way Ed started to draw with a pipe he had picked up. Hohenheim wasn't sure what was worse; the melancholy that filled him at the sight of Ed drawing the circle by memory or the pride that equally filled him as his son went with the third option.

Ed finished drawing the transmutation circle, stepping into the middle. He flashed that shit eating grin at everyon, his hands held out.

"Watch carefully everyone!" he announced. "You're all about to witness the last transmutation of the Fullmetal Alchemist!" The clap rang sharp, palms slapping against the ground then the familiar crackle of alchemical energy filled Hohenheim's ears. Izumi jerked forward, her panic clear.

"Don't worry," Hohenheim said quietly. The dark haired woman looked at him as if he'd grown a third head. Who knows? Maybe he had. "He's not going to give up himself."

"What _is _he going to give up then?" Izumi demanded.

"Alchemy," the man answered simply. Realisation flooded the housewife's face and the tiniest smile fought its way onto her face though she was clearly trying to maintain the look of disapproval.

"That idiot," she scolded. There was no bite behind the words however. Several moments passed before the transmutation lit up again this time with _both _Elric brothers. Hohenheim glanced around at the relieved faces surrounding him. And it was in that moment that Hohenheim realised something.

He was Pandora, the girl he had once read about briefly in the ancient scrolls of Xerxes. He had given in to his curiosity and the whisperings of that blasted dwarf in the flask, the box that had unleashed the worst evils into the world.

And in that moment Hohenheim realised another thing. Whilst he may be Pandora, Edward was definitely Hope (_Elpis_).

_"Don't get too close_  
><em>It's dark inside<em>  
><em>It's where my demons hide<em>  
><em>It's where my demons hide"<em>

_~ Demons by Imagine Dragons_

**This was a side idea that I wanted to get down. I'm into Greek myths and stuff and I love how Arakawa incorporated the one about Icarus into FMA. It fits perfectly and Pandora's infamous mishap with a storage jar (pithos in Ancient Greek) does too. That's not actually how it went in the myths though so please don't quote me on that.**

**Note: Apologies for the song inaccuracy. My iTunes library (where I listen to all my music) wasn't quite feeling the same thing I was with this. **


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